Shoe-cleaning apparatus.



J. K. SKINDERL SHOE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l. 1911.

Patented fiept, 4:, 1917.

JOSEPH K. SKINDER, OF BRIDGEPOR'I, CONNECTICUT.

SHOE-CLEANING ArrAaArUs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 41, 1917..

Application filed February 1, 1917. Serial No. 145,981.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, JOSEPH K. SKINDER a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe- Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shoe cleaning apparatus.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, adapted for cleaning boots and shoes being operable by the wearer thereof.

A further object of the device is the provision of a mechanism for operatively mounting an ordinary broom whereby the cleaning of a boot or shoe upon a persons foot may be quickly done simultaneously with the scraping of the footwear.

A still further object of the device is the provision of a resilient holder for a broom whereby the latter is normally elevated adj acent a shoe-supporting member, the broom being readily forced against the shoe and thereafter automatically returned to its normal position.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 illustrates in elevation differen views of the swiveled mounting bracket,

Fig. 4 shows two elevational views of the swinging support for the broom,

Fig. 5 is an elevation and a transverse section of the trunnion collar for the broom,

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the upper stud-carrying portion of the standard,

Fig. 7 is a view of the broom-clamping collar, and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken upon line VIIIVIII of Fig. 1.

It being understood that the device is designed for cleaning boots and shoes, the same broadly consists of a standard 10 mounted upon a base 11 and arranged with opposite shoe scrapers 12 and 13 while a usual form of broom 1 1 is swivelly arranged upon an upright stud 15 at the top of the standard 10, the arrangement being such as to permit the broom 14: to be engaged with boots and shoes positioned adjacent either of the scrapers 12 or 13;

An angular swiveling bracket 16 in the form of a right angle is arranged with a tubular journal 17 transversely positioned at each end thereof, one of the said journals being'positioned on the stud l5 and retained thereon for swinging movement by means of a nut 18. The other journal 17 is adapted for mounting a broom supporting fork 19 by having the shank portion 20 of the fork journaled therein and retained by means of a nut21 threaded upon the free end of the shank. A trunnioning member 22 consists of a collar 23 adapted for the sliding reception of the handle of the broom 14 therein, and oppositely extending bosses 24 are journaled between the arms 25 of the bifurcated end 26 of the fork 19 by means of screws 27.

A slip ring or collar 28 is adjustably secured upon the handle of the broom lt by means of a connecting screw 29, the collar 28 being arranged at a point above the collar 23 while an expansion spring 30 encircles the broom handle between the two collars and whereby the broom 14 is resiliently mounted upon the trunnioning member 22.

The device possesses great strength, the standard being cruciform in cross-section. The bracket 16 may be positioned either eX- tending upwardly as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, or in a reversed depending position if desired, the object of rotatably mounting the broom upon the standard 10 being accomplished by either manner of assembling. The scrapers 12 and 13, which are positioned diametrically opposite each other upon the standard 10, have their curved operative edges 31 arranged in an opposite manner, it being noted that the edge 31 of the scraper 12 is at the lower edge thereof serving as a scraper, for the top of boots and shoes, while the corresponding edge 31 of the scraper 13 is arranged at its upper edge for the advantageous use of scraping the sides of boots andshoes.

In operating the device, a person may remove the mud from his shoes by the scraping edges 31 and then rest his shoe upon either of the scrapers 12 and 13, and by grasping the upper portion of the handle of the broom 14 the broom may be freely turned to a position over the shoe and forcibly depressed bringing the brush portion 32 of the broom in. violent contact with the shoe, a

swinging movement being also readily'imparted to the broom as well as a rotarymovement W1th1n the trunnion collar 23, the cleaning of the shoe beingaccomplishedby reason of the universal swivel mounting connection between the broom 14 and standard 10, and upon releasing the broom the spring 30 returns the latter to its normalon and being movable relative thereto,iandltlltOIl'ldtlO elevatlnp; means for the broom when depressed. p

2. A device of the class described comprising a standard, an angle bracket revolubly journaled thereon, a fork having its shank journaled in the said bracket, a broom trunnioned in the said fork and movable relative to the bracket, and automatic elevating means for the said broom including a ring horizontally fixed to the broom and a coil spring surrounding the broom handle between the ring and fork.

3.. A device ofthe class described comprising a standard, a bracket revolubly journaled thereon, a forkjournaled in the said bracket, a broom trunnioned in the said fork and being movable; relative to said bracket, and automatic elevating means for the sand broom.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH K. SKINDER,

Gopies of this patent may be obtained-tor five cents each,,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,.

WashingtomD. G. i 

